Seniors celebrate in spooky style

By Dave Clark

Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008 | midnight

With cobwebbed tablecloths lining the dining room and trays of holiday treats waiting to be eaten, costumed seniors streamed into the Henderson Senior Center on Halloween.

There was an alien with shamrock-shaped antennae, a sword-wielding pirate and farmers in overalls, as well as seniors bedecked in all manners of orange and black. Brenda Bryant, 60, said enthusiasm for dressing up does not wane with age.

The North Las Vegas resident arrived with green hair, a green face and hands, gigantic sunglasses resembling alien eyes, green shoes and green clothes. She wore a sign reading "Property of Area 51." And in her orange and black purse, she carried small stuffed aliens. Her costume snagged the title of "most unique."

"She's just naturally strange," said her 78-year-old mother Bonnie Semblante, seated nearby. "She has a normal mother."

Bryant has long harbored a fascination with aliens that she indulged this year at the Roswell Alien Convention. This was the first year she was able to create an elaborate alien costume.

"She always said she needed to work on her costume all day," said her friend, 65-year-old Billie Jean James. "She just retired. Now she can go over the top."

"And boy did she go over the top," Bryant's mom said.

In the past she has dressed as everything from Elvis to a gypsy to a policewoman. While she keeps an elf outfit for Christmas, Halloween is her favorite holiday.

"It's just an excuse to play and not feel too strange," Bryant said. "Playing is important."

Her mother, who was not in costume, said Halloween was not her favorite.

James, of Las Vegas, does not wait for Halloween to theme-dress. She said she and Bryant often host parties, including a glitzy bash held in honor of Liberace.

"I dress up every day," she said.

For Halloween she was not wearing a costume per se, but was covered in orange and black, from clothes to earrings and necklaces and bracelets. Around Halloween, she wears orange for an entire month, red and green for the month of December and red and pink for February.

"I just love color and fabric," James aid. "It's fun to play and be festive."

They were spreading their Halloween enthusiasm to another friend Setsuko Tomiyasu, dressed as a harem dancer. They referred to Tomiyasu, 78, as a Halloween virgin; she was dressed up for the first time, at their prodding.

"I'm very excited," she said.

Over at another table Florence Benavidez, 80, was outfitted in newspaper clippings relaying Nevada's history. She wears her "Battle Born" costume every year as a tribute to her native state, which celebrates its admission into the union on Oct. 31.

"I think it's wonderful that people our age still want to have a little fun in our later years," she said. "It's so nice of the center to treat us."

Dave Clark can be reached at 990-2677 or [email protected].